2016: Another year of ch-ch-ch-changes

Boy George of music group Culture Club and former MTV host Martha Quinn at the iHeart80s Party in February 2016.

Boy George of music group Culture Club and former MTV host Martha Quinn at the iHeart80s Party in February 2016.

Photo: Kevin Winter, Getty Images For IHeartMedia

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KFOG host Rosalie Howarth, seen in the studio in 2009.

KFOG host Rosalie Howarth, seen in the studio in 2009.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

2016: Another year of ch-ch-ch-changes

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“Happy new year,” I type, with fingers crossed (not an easy task).

What about the year just past? For radio, it was the usual mixed bag of financial woes (despite a revenue bump from election spending), budget cuts, format changes, firings and farewells to some major personalities.

•Al Hart died on Jan. 14, days after turning 88. Hart, part of San Francisco radio since 1960, was highly respected. Said Stan Bunger, who replaced him as KCBS’ morning co-anchor in 2000: “He sounded like the world’s nicest guy because he actually was the world’s nicest guy.”

•In February, Dan Hicks died at 74. Although best known as a musician, songwriter and sardonic wit, he was a radio fan from his childhood in Santa Rosa. He created memorable jingles for KSAN in the ’70s and performed at a station reunion at Yoshi’s in 2014.

•In March, I whined about announcers with verbal tics and generally bad habits (“You know,” “like,” “I mean,” “I tell you what,” “Listen”) and Valley Girl talk, ending sentences as though they’re questions, a trait a speech teacher, writing in response to the column, called “uptalk.” My kvetching did no good. If anything, Bob Fitzpatrick, the Warriors’ TV play-by-play guy, is uptalking more than ever. (His partner, Jim Barnett, does his best to counterbalance “Fitz.”)

•Glimmers of hope: In visits to Damon Bruce at “The Game” (KGMZ) and Ray White at KDFC, I found two broadcasters who refuse to address listeners as “everybody,” like most of their peers do. It’s, like, a start.

•In the spring, while KALW celebrated its 75th anniversary, we had the April Fool’s eve massacre at Cumulus Media’s KGO and KFOG. Giving up its short-lived all-news format (excepting Ronn Owens and weekend shows), the company pink-slipped a couple dozen staffers and flipped back to talk, billing a “Next Generation,” one that includes the dean of local talkers, Owens. The 40-year vet had been transferred to sister KSFO, then reinstated.

•Meantime, KFOG proclaimed an “Evolution” and canned DJs Renee Richardson, Annalisa, Bill Webster, Dred Scott and “Acoustic Sunrise” host Rosalie Howarth (who was later brought back). I heard later that a couple of the staffers were offered a chance to reapply for their jobs — with a pay cut. They declined.

•In June, iHeart Media’s KOSF (103.7), which had been playing oldies from the ’60s through the ’80s, doubled down on only the ’80s, hiring former MTV star Martha Quinn to anchor mornings. Casualties included market fave Celeste Perry, who would move on to KUFX (“K-Fox”), replacing Laurie Roberts.

•Dan Sorkin, one of the most gifted personalities to grace San Francisco airwaves, died in June at age 89. He came to town in the mid-’60s from Chicago to join KFRC, then a rival to KSFO, where Don Sherwood ruled. Soon enough KSFO hired him away, and that was that.

•In July, the popular KCBS and KPIX-TV feature reporter Mike Sugerman left town, along with wife and KCBS anchor Janice Wright. They’re in New York, closer to family, and Sugerman has popped back up on CBS Radio.

•Anyone who thought of radio as a profession of glamour and big bucks got a wake-up call when staffers at KNBR, a Cumulus station, staged protests calling for pay raises. Employees revealed salaries ranging from $13 an hour to $30, even for those who appeared on air regularly.

•Meantime, upstart rival KGMZ landed a big prize: the Golden State Warriors, who moved their game broadcasts from KNBR after 32 years on “The Sports Leader.” Couple the Dubs with the Raiders, and it was a very good year for the gang at 95.7.

•Other changes: KKSF dropped its talk format and became a Spanish-language outlet for ESPN Deportes. … Lissa Kreisler, popular morning co-host, with Sam Van Zandt, on KBAY, was let go; and Van Zandt announced his retirement. KBLX’s much-hyped “Morning Dream Team” of comedian Mark Curry, Victor “Big Daddy” Zaragoza and Kimmie Taylor fell apart, as Zaragoza left in May, followed by Curry in September, after less than a year on the job. In came Tony Sculfield and Tony Roberts. … After almost five years on its morning shift, Charly Kayle and KOIT parted ways. … Kevin Buchar (“DreX”) left KGO. … Mia Amor joined Joey V on KRBQ (“Q 102”)’s morning shift. … KBLX inked Miranda Wilson and Renel Brooks-Moon for feature shows. … “The Game” made a ton of changes, including adding “JT the Brick” and revamping the morning show, replacing Chad Doing with Dan Dibley. … At KNBR, John Lund joined Tom Tolbert’s afternoon program. … Melanie Morgan left KSRO in Santa Rosa, where she was morning news anchor. … William Mandel, longtime activist, broadcast journalist, author and KPFA stalwart, died in November at 99. … KNBR’s Giants broadcasters said “Bye-bye, baby” to producer Lee Jones, who retired. Ditto Joe Burke of KALW, Vin Scully of the Dodgers and Garrison Keillor of Lake Wobegon.